FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

HELIOS currently offers a 6-month Starter membership with the Helios Core device included through Pure Hockey online and in-store at 30 locations.

There is no minimum age requirement. However, based on how our technology has been tested, we typically recommend it for players who are 9+.

For users under 13 years old we have implemented a parent/guardian verification and consent process into the sign-up of our app. This allows a parent/guardian to be informed and grant permission.

The Helios Core uses a game-changing Stride Recognition Technology (SRT) that our team from MIT, Intel and the NHL developed to recognize left and right skating stride. This proprietary technology was developed using a technique called machine learning where thousands of hours of actual skating data was used to train the Core to know what skating stride looks like.

This is our basic building block that allows our product to be entirely smartphone-based and require zero-infrastructure enabling anyone to use it anywhere they skate.

We are currently tracking performance results, progress-over-time and percent rankings by birth year for four key skating metrics - Speed, Explosiveness, Agility and Balance. In addition to these metrics, we deliver Shift Analysis, Hustle Score (Low, Avg, High), Stride Count (per session and total all-time), Active Time and Heart Rate (HR) when a compatible HR device is used.

Read and see more on our Metrics page.

We are continuously developing new metrics that will be available to our members through a simple software update on their HELIOS App and Core when they are ready to use.

The Percent Rankings by Birth Year are continuously updated by a process that runs each night in the HELIOS cloud. It takes all of your data and compares it to all the data for everyone else in your birth year, then we tell you where you stand for each metric. This is you vs. all players in your birth year.

The app will automatically start to show Percent Rankings by Birth Year results once it is confident that it has enough data to represent your performance. This typically takes your first 5-10 sessions.

Highlighting your strengths and weaknesses is just one of our powerful features to help you improve your game.

The Hustle Score (Low, Avg, High) is a measure of your effort for a specific practice or game session. It is generated during the syncing process when the data from a specific practice or game is compared to your baseline model.

The app will automatically start to show Hustle Score results once it is confident that it has a good baseline model for your performance. This typically takes your first 5-10 sessions to build the baseline.

While the Helios Core does not track Heart Rate (HR) metrics on its own, you can set it up to connect to an off-the-shelf HR device and the Core will automatically grab the HR data with your skating performance data to show you a combined result in the HELIOS App. The combination brings all the context you've never had when staring at beats per minute (bpm). Once the one-time setup is complete you'll only need to use the HELIOS App for everything.

To setup one of the currently supported HR device models in the HELIOS app visit Settings > Devices and click the '+' in the top right. Don't see your HR device model? Just email us at support@helioshockey.com

Our HELIOS Sports app is available on the Apple App store - Download Here

It's free download and create a profile. Users can unlock full app access with a 6-month Starter membership that includes the Helios Core.

The Leaderboard, located on the Social tab inside the HELIOS app is a points-based ranking of weekly, monthly and all-time totals.

Players earn points in two ways - fixed points for completing a practice or game session (participation), and, variable points for how their performance for that specific practice or game compares to their individual baseline. The points are automatically computed at the end of each session along with a Hustle Score during the syncing process with the Helios cloud.

Compete with other high-performance players near and far on the HELIOS platform.

YES. We are now available on the Google Play Store under HELIOS App.

The smartphone can be anywhere during the session and only needs to be close by when starting, stopping and syncing the session.

Once a practice or game session is started, users can leave the app running in the background on their phone and leave their phone in the locker room. The Helios Core saves your skating performance data locally until the next time it syncs with your smartphone.

Yes, the Helios Core was specifically developed for use in both practices and games. It is currently being worn in full-contact games by AAA, Junior, College and Pro players. The device is robust as it is fully-overmolded and gets firmly mounted on the player's shoulder pads. We also have features like Shift Analysis which are unique to games.

No. The Helios Core and user profile on our App are configured to be uniquely linked one-per-player as it’s not so easy to switch the device from player-to-player while supporting the automatic features we are delivering. So each player (member) needs to have their own Core and user profile.

The Core is not yet recommended for goalies. While it would track a goalie's skating stride, we believe this is a limited use case at the moment. We are working on goalie-specific models and metrics that will ultimately provide a unique experience and greater value to goalies in the future. Stay tuned for updates.

No. There is one Helios Core size for players of all ages and sizes.

The Core measures 2.75 in x 2.25 in (7 cm x 5.7 cm).

The Core is currently trained to deliver metrics for skating stride. This also works for inline (rollerblading) stride.

We are continuously developing new metrics to support new use cases on and off the ice that will be available to our members through a simple software update on their HELIOS App and Core when they are ready to use.

The Core can be mounted on your existing shoulder pads using either our Twist Mount or Strap Mount as described in the Quick Start Guide and on our Support page. Both mounting options are included in each box for convenience and preference.

Yes. Both the Twist Mount and Strap Mount are very secure when mounted correctly.

For the Twist Mount, we spent months working with the world's leading manufacturer of tapes and adhesives to create a solution that would could be easily applied with hand pressure, hold strong during impacts and even be removed with a peeling approach if necessary.

For the Strap Mount, the included strap uses a standard hooks-and-loops approach (without naming the brand we all know) to securely wrap around a pillar on the center front or center back of the shoulder pads to hold it snuggly in place.

It typically takes 2-3 hours to fully charge the battery inside the Core.

The battery will typically last between 6-10 hours of active sessions (e.g. practices or games when the user is actively skating). The exact life depends on how much the device is being used with the smartphone.

When the Core is on the wireless charging pad, the LED logo face will pulse quickly when the battery is near empty, glow in-and-out while charging and then turn solid when fully-charged.

At any point you can launch the HELIOS App and go to the Activity tab to see the battery percentage in the top right corner.